The debate about monarchy in Spain and Belgium
Belgium and Spain have something in common: both countries are (related) monarchies, and both countries at present have a big debate about that. A review on the historical reasons about this debate and the situation nowadays.
The monarchy is one of the oldest structures of power that exist. The constitutional monarchy is quite new, but not too many countries have them and in the countries where it exists it is, frequently, controversial.
Such is the case in Belgium and Spain, two countries where monarchy has been always the principal way of government: In Belgium, since 1790, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, has been the bloodline of the royal family. Now Philippe I is the current king. In Spain, since 1700 that is the family of Borbon, and now the current king is Felipe VI.
In the pasts centuries (since the 19th century), monarchy used to be absolutism (everything was done as the king wished). But in time it started to be combined with political parties. It has to be mentioned that Spain was in 1975 –after Franco-, when the constitutional Monarchy started.
So, now Monarchy has the same stregth in Belgium in Spain, a representative power, which actually could be substituted. A big question nowadays asked in both countries: Do people love to live under the monarchy?
Because, in both countries there always has been a little debate about the theme on the contrary than in England for example, where everybody love Queen Elisabeth II. If we look at the history, and how people have voted about that, we will discover a similar paradigm.
BELGIUM
The last time that a referendum about monarchy was held in Belgium, was in 1950 after the Second World War. It was because Leopold II, gave support to Hitler regime. So after the war, a lot of people didn’t want him on the throne. After the referendum was made, the results were 57% in favour of him and 43% against him. Tight result without doubt. But the most curious thing was the division of vote: in Flanders, almost everybody said yes to Monarchy, in Wallonia almost everybody said NO, and in Brussels it was fifty-fifty. Big territorial division that also continues nowadays. Although the situation has changed an now flemish people are republicans.
SPAIN
Spain is a country where monarchy has always been supported by the people. However, every time that Spanish citizens have had the chance to vote, the republic has been close to win, or, actually, has won.
News records have been discovered in the last few years, and they may have shaken the foundations of the country. After Franco (1975) the Monarchy was imposed, and nobody said anything. However, a record has been found, in where Adolfo Suarez –president of the transition-, is literally saying this:
The external governments were asking me about doing a referendum of monarchy or republic; but when I looked the polls, I saw that republic would have won, so I didn’t do it because it was too dangerous on that moment. I said to the external governments nothing, and I introduced the king inside the law.
The citizens of Spain approved the law, and without knowing they approved their king.
Nowadays: same situation, but a big growing difference
The situation in both countries are similar right now: there is a big division between people who choose the republic and people who want monarchy.
In Belgium, and according to Mr De Vuyst, it exists the same territorial division exists after the second world war. Philippe is the king since 2013 and people who supports monarchy are happy with him after big troubles with the last king (Albert II), who was involved in a lot of scandals.
In Spain we have to see the result of the lasts elections. If we look at that, we realise that the people who voted Partido Popular –monarchic political party- were around 7 million. Today, other big political party in Spain is Ciudadanos, and they support monarchy –for now, their president Albert Rivera said that “the day when monarchy doesn’t be useful to the citizens we will remove it”-. So, if the sum of the votes of both parties is counted, it’s seen that around 11 million people wants monarchy in Spain.
On the other side, Podemos has almost 5 million votes and PNV has 300.000. Between them no more than six million. So, we can think that monarchy is loved in Spain, but if we would do that we would be wrong.
The political party called PSOE that has more than 5 million of votes which supports –in theory- “the left”. Historically they have had the internal debate between Republic and Monarchy, so they are still without getting a position about that. The principal consequence is that people in favour and against monarchy, vote them.
Due to all of that it’s impossible to know how many people want monarchy in Spain.
The debate in Belgium is losing relevance, but in Spain is growing up. That’s the big difference between monarchy in both countries.
After Cataluña’s problem will be solved, maybe the monarchy will be the next theme that will be voted in Spain.
Sources
